It's Official: The New York Islanders Will Play The New York Rangers At Yankee Stadium

Many years ago, Charles Wang set forth an initiative to have the New York Islanders play an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium against the New York Rangers. At the time, the Islanders were not in the middle of a rebuild, but were not one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference either.

Therefore, like many other things that have happened on the island in recent years, the idea was eventually shot down.

However, although he may not have gotten his beloved Lighthouse Project or new arena in Nassau County, one of Wang's visions will finally come true.

The New York Islanders will play against the New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium on January 29th, 2014.

Per the Islanders official press-release:

ISLANDERS TO PLAY IN STADIUM SERIES AT YANKEE STADIUMTeam will take on New York Rangers on Wednesday, Jan. 29

UNIONDALE, NY (May 16, 2013) – The National Hockey League announced today that the New York Islanders will play the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at Yankee Stadium as a part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series.

“The New York Islanders are honored to take part in the National Hockey League’s outdoor stadium series,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said. “Our fan-base is one of the most passionate in the NHL. The support we consistently receive from our fans was on display during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and I expect it to be on an even greater scale when we take on the Rangers. This is what makes the games against the Rangers one of the best rivalries in the league. I look forward to seeing a strong contingent of the orange and blue in the stands at Yankee Stadium.”

The only way for Islanders fans to secure tickets for the game is to contact the New York Islanders ticket department at 1-800-882-ISLES extension 1.

In addition to the Islanders vs. Rangers game on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, the New Jersey Devils will host the Rangers three days prior, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, also as a part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series.

“We have long thought that Yankee Stadium would be a great venue for outdoor hockey,” said Lonn Trost, New York Yankees Chief Operating Office. “In addition to being a first-class baseball facility, Yankee Stadium was designed to house unique and memorable events, such as the NHL Stadium Series™. Hosting two of the NHL’s classic rivalries at Yankee Stadium will be a great kickoff for the worldwide sporting events in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area scheduled in early 2014.”

The rivalries among the three NHL clubs based in the New York metropolitan area go well beyond the natural contentiousness of proximity. The Rangers, Islanders and Devils each have been successful on the ice, combining to win 11 Stanley Cup championships, including eight of the past 32.

“The New York Rangers are honored to participate in these two historic games at Yankee Stadium, bringing hockey into the home of another one of New York’s iconic sports franchises,” said Rangers President & General Manager Glen Sather. “Playing hockey outdoors takes the game back to its roots and reminds us all why we laced up our skates as youngsters. We are excited to be able to bring that experience and thrill to our fans and the city of New York.”

“The teams playing in these two games - the Rangers, Islanders and Devils - have tremendously loyal fans and the rivalries are intense because of their proximity and playoff history,” said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA special assistant to the Executive Director. “Yankee Stadium is a landmark venue in New York City and to see hockey played in such a celebrated setting will be extremely memorable to the players and everyone involved.”

NHL Network™ and NHL.com will provide extensive coverage live from New York leading up to and after the games. NHL Social™ will have exclusive coverage on all social platforms, including the use of the hashtag #StadiumSeries.

The NHL recently announced that the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 1, when the Detroit Red Wings will play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus. It is anticipated that the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® could set a world record for attendance at a hockey game.

Clearly, this is the NHL's way of giving back to the fans who stuck around despite a second lockout in the past eight years. The Winter Classic is looked upon as the best ice hockey game of the regular season; so how about a whole month of them? And of course, the NHL will cash in big on this as well.

With the way the Islanders and Rangers have played this season, fans should only expect to see an incredibly exciting match-up outdoors on a cold Janaury evening.

2 Comments

I am not entirely a fan of this Rob. I absolutely love the Winter Classic, therefore I do not want the NHL to wear us out by just throwing more of them at us. I think that this will remove the hype around the Winter Classic and eventually from all of the outdoor games. Once a year is what keeps things special. I also don't necessarily like how the elements could effect the game in a situation like this. I may be over thinking it, but that's just my 2 cents.

I understand how you feel. A lot of fans aren't thrilled about six outdoor games this season. The Winter Classic is an exciting game that comes only once a year. That novelty is being taken away. But at the same time, now there's not just one awesome outdoor game, but six. It goes either way. But I do completely understand how some hockey fans feel in regards to what you said.